1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to alarm devices, and more particularly to a portable, personal alarm system which incorporates a loud audio alert that, when engaged, is unable to be removed or terminated without the cooperation of the operator.
The preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises a small, hand-held alarm having a strap with locking mechanism for securely affixing the system to the user, compressed gas containment for providing a loud audio horn alert, a locator light for signalling the location of the operator or user in dark areas, and a mechanism for selectively locking the horn alert in the "on" or "off" operating positions.
2. Prior Art & General Background
The prior art is replete with a variety of portable signalling devices utilizing compressed gas, coupled with an appropriately configured horn, as well as other small alert devices, the more pertinent of which are cited as follows:
______________________________________ Patent No. Patentee(s) Issue Date ______________________________________ 4,759,309 Zediker 07/26/1988 4,449,474 Mariol 05/22/1984 4,227,482 Scheindel 10/14/1980 4,166,428 Freeman et al 09/04/1979 4,044,712 Goodman et al 08/30/1977 3,757,731 Pappas et al 09/11/1973 2,908,244 Clark 10/13/1959 2,893,344 Meyers 07/07/1959 2,840,033 Nitchman 06/24/1958 2,719,507 S. S. Aidlin et al 10/04/1955 2,554,789 Merola 05/29/1951 2,386,711 Parker 10/09/1945 1,686,233 Halliday 10/02/1928 113,061 Kast 03/28/1871 ______________________________________
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,759,309, 4,044,712, 2,840,033, 2,719,507, 2,554,789, and 2,386,711, all teach various, different configurations of portable audible alarm systems utilizing compressed gas means to provide an alarm which, once initiated by the user, is irreversible until the propellant is exhausted.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,449,474 and 2,893,344 each teach examples of portable alarm systems combining audible alert apparatus with lighted signalling means.
Lastly, U.S. Pat. No. 1,686,233 to Halliday teaches a portable sound producing device which is affixed to the user's person via an adjustable wrist strap.
As may be determined by a review of the above, the prior art does not teach or even suggest a portable, hand held personal alarm system teaching a "selectively" irreversible alarm operation. In fact, the prior art above only discloses alarm systems which are easily silenced by the user (or attacker) or which are not able to be silenced at all once initiated.
Even those alarms which claim to be "irreversible" are such that they may be destroyed by the attacker, silencing them. This is so because the alarms, being hand held, may be removed from the user and thereby may be silenced or damaged by the attacker in order to silence them.
As a result, although there has been a long-felt need for such a device, the prior art fails to teach a portable, personal alarm system which is secured to the user in such a fashion as to render it inseparable from same, thereby lessening the chances that it will be disabled or destroyed by an attacker.